Adjustable traverse drapery rod, rod end brackets and center rod bracket combination



March 22, 1966 H. w. WILLSEY 3,241,684

ADJUSTABLE TRAVERSE DRAPERY ROD, ROD END BRACKETS AND CENTER ROD BRACKET COMBINATION Filed June 17, 1964 INVENTOR. Harry 14 W/l/sey BY :YMW

United States Patent C) 3,241,684 ADJUSTABLE TRAVERE DRAPERY RUB, ROD END BRACKETS AND CENTER 120D BRACKET CUMBENATEON Barry W. Willsey, 3181 Teigland Road, Lafayette, Calif. Filed June 17, 1964, Ser. No. 375,811 7 Claims. (Cl. 211-105.1)

This invention relates to an adjustable traverse drapery rod, rod end brackets and center rod bracket combination, and has for an object to provide improved end brackets and a center bracket which may be readily adjusted, both horizontally and vertically to compensate for a difference in elevation or height of the means for mounting the brackets on the wall.

A further object of this invention is to provide a combination of a drapery rod and a plurality of Wall supported brackets which may be mounted at different elevations on a wall, within reasonable limits, wherein each bracket may be adjusted, both vertically and horizontally as necessary, to support the drapery rod in a horizontal position and at a desired distance from the supporting wall.

A further object of this invention is to provide two specialized types of bracket with different types of adjusting means, one being particularly intended for use as a rod end support, and the other as a rod center support, yet where either adjusting means may be used in the other type of bracket.

With the above and related objects in view, this invention consists in the details of construction and combination of parts, as will be more fully understood from the following description, when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is an elevational view of the invention in operative position.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of one drapery rod adjustable end bracket, in adjusted position.

FIG. 3 is an elevational view of the wall mountable bracket of the rod end bracket of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an adjustable rod center supporting bracket, in adjusted position.

There is shown at a traverse drapery rod 18 supported in horizontal position on a wall 12 about a window frame 14, the rod 10 being supported by two mirror image rod end brackets 16 and 18 and a rod center bracket 28, the rod 18 being in horizontal position and at the desired distance from the wall 12, even though the wall mountable brackets 22 of the mirror image end brackets 16 and 18 are at slightly different heights on the wall 12, and the center bracket wall mountable bracket 24 is at still another height, it being realized that the average householder finds it almost impossible to properly align the wall mountable brackets for a traverse drapery rod, and further, that wall defects sometimes present make proper exact alignment impossible.

The end brackets 16 and 18 being mirror images of each other, the following description applies to both. In mounting each end bracket on the wall, the wall mountable bracket 22 is secured by nails, screws, or other appropriate fastening means (not shown) through the spaced holes 26 as close to the same height on the wall 12 as possible, and in this case, as shown, the wall bracket 22 for the left end bracket 16 is at a lower height on the wall 12 than the right end bracket 18. The Wall bracket 22 is provided with two pairs of spaced apart inturned female side wings 28 and 38. The side edges of the wall bracket 22 taper toward each other downwardly, and hence the pairs of female Wings provide downwardly, inwardly tapering sockets. Complementary to these pairs of female wings 28 and 30 are two pairs of outwardly extending male 3,241,684 Patented -Mar. 22, 1966 ice wings 32 and 34 located on the back end of a vertically extending U-bracket plate 36.

The space between the pairs of female wings, and likewise between the pair of male wings is greater than the height of each pair of wings, and the U-bracket plate 36 is readily attached to the wall mounted bracket 22 by inserting the lower pair of male wings 34 through the space between the upper and lower female wings, with the upper pair of male wings 32 above the upper pair of female wings 28 and moving the U-bracket plate 36 downwardly and thus detachably but firmly secure the U-bracket plate 36 on the wall bracket 22.

Telescopically slidable in the U of the U-bracket plate 36 is a bracket arm 38 which is pivoted on a stud bolt 48 threaded therein at one end and slidable along a horizontal slot 42 in both leg sides of the U of the bracket plate 36. While the bracket arm 38 may be of a single sheet of metal, it is folded as shown to somewhat snugly yet slidably fit with the U of the U-bracket plate 36, a bottom flange 44 being abuttable by a bracket arm adjusting, lifting and supporting stud screw 46 threaded through the bight 48 of the U of plate 36 adjacent its end remote from the Wall bracket end to lift, adjust and support the bracket arm 38 at any desired angle on its pivot stud bolt 40.

The end portion 50 of bracket arm 38, beyond where it may telescope in-to U-bracket plate 36, is in a single plane of the thickness of the metal, and is perforated adjacent its end mid-point to receive a stud bolt 52 by which a traverse rod end holding bracket 54 is pivotally secured thereto by the bolt 52 being threaded in a threaded aperture in one panel 56 of .the rod end bracket 54. Conventional, spaced apart jaws 58 and 68 serve to hold the drapery rod 10 therein in the usual manner.

With the stud bolts 48 and 52 slightly loose, the brack et arm 38 may be telescoped into or out of the U-bracket plate 36 and the adjusting screw 46 may elevate or lower the rod end bracket 54 to the proper height, and pivoting the rod end bracket 54 on its stud bolt 52 enables it to be positioned to support the rod 18 in a horizonal position. When the wall mounting brackets 22 are uneven with each other, their adjusting and supporting elements, just described, are suitably adjusted to support the rod 10 horizontally and at a desired distance from the wall 12.

When the rod 10 is fairly long, and the draperies to be supported are rather heavy, the rod center supporting bracket 20, shown separately in FIG. 4, is used. This rod center bracket 28 includes the wall mountable bracket 24 having outwardly extending cars 62 apertured at 64 to receive fastening means such as screws 66 or the like for fastening it to the wall 12 in appropriate position. This wall bracket 24 is somewhat U-shaped in transverse across section, whereby a stanchion 68, complementary thereto, may be telescopically slid up or down therebehind within the limits provided by a stud screw 78 threaded into the stanchion 68 through a vertical slot 72 in wall bracket 24. It may be held in adjusted position by tightening the screw 78. Downwardly, inwardly tapered female wings 74 cooperate with complementary male wings 76 on the side braces 78 of a first horizontal arm 81) to detachably but firmly secure the arm in vertically adjustable relation to the wall bracket 24.

A second horizontal bracket arm 82 is held in adjusted telescopic relation by a stud screw 84 secured therein through a slot 86 in the first horizontal bracket arm 80, its flanges 87 riding on the tracks 88 of first horizontal bracket arm 80. The end portion 90 of second bracket arm 82 is formed in a downward lip 92 to extend over the top of the center of the drapery rod 18, and cooperates with a rod latch finger 94 pivoted on stud screw 96, threadedly connected to end portion 90. When the screw 96 is slightly loose, the latch finger 94 is rotated into latching position under the side lip of the drapery rod 10, and

3 then the screw 96 is tightened to firmly hold the center of the rod 10 against the lip 92.

In operation, the wall mountable brackets 22 and 24 are secured to the wall 12 in approximately as horizontal an alignment as possible by the average householder. As shown each wall bracket is at a slightly different height. Then the rod 10 is attached to the end brackets 16 and 18 by the jaws 58 and 60 in the conventional manner and the center of the rod is supported by the lip 92 and latch finger 94 of the rod center bracket 20. Then, using a level and ruler on the rod 10 if necessary, the rod holders 54 in end brackets 16 and 18 and the rod holders 92 and 94 of center bracket 20 are adjusted to a true horizontal position and desired distance from the wall 12.

Obviously, the rod center bracket 20 may be used as a rod end bracket without any change whatsoever, while either rod end bracket 16 or 18 may be used as a center bracket by pivotally securing second horizontal arm 82 to the end portion 50 of telescopic bracket arm 38 by threading the screw 52 into a suitably threaded aperture to be provided in either flange 87. Also, while particularly intended for use with traverse drapery rods, wherein the draperies used are rather heavy, these rod brackets may be used with other similar conventional curtain rods for lightweight curtains or the like, with no conventional traverse mechanism in the rods.

Although this invention has been described in considerable detail, such description is intended as being illustrative rather than limiting, since the invention may be variously embodied, and the scope of the invention is to be determined as claimed.

Having thus set forth and disclosed the nature of this invention, what is claimed is:

1. In an adjustable traverse bracket, an adjustable bracket comprising, a wall mountable bracket, a vertically extending U-bracket plate detachably mounted thereon, a bracket arm telescopically slidable in said U-bracket plate, pivot means extending through a slot in the side of said U-bracket plate into one end of said bracket arm and slidable in said U-bracket plate for pivotally securing said bracket arm in a desired angular extended position, bracket arm angle adjusting, lifting and supporting means adjustably secured through the bight of said U-bracket plate adjacent its end remote from its wall bracket mounting end, a pivoted rod holding bracket, and means for pivotally supporting and securing said rod holding bracket in desired angular position on the outer end of said bracket arm, whereby said rod holding bracket may be adjusted and extended relative to said wall mounted bracket.

2. The bracket defined in claim 1, said bracket being a rod end supporting bracket.

3. A pair of horizontally spaced apart adjustable end brackets each as defined in claim 2, said wall mounting brackets being wall mounted at slightly different elevations, said rod holding brackets being adjusted to the same elevation and to the desired spacing from the wall on which the brackets are mounted, in combination with a drapery rod horizontally mounted on and between said rod supporting brackets.

4. The adjustable bracket of claim 1, said first mentioned pivot means comprising a stud bolt extending through a horizontal, elongated slot in said U-bracket plate into a threaded aperture in said one end of said bracket arm, said bracket arm adjusting, lifting, and supporting means comprising a stud bolt threaded upwardly through the bight of said U-bracket plate adjacent the end remote from the wall bracket into abutting position against the bottom of said bracket arm, said second mentioned pivotal means comprising a stud bolt threaded through overlapping portions of said bracket arm and said rod holding bracket.

5. The adjustable bracket of claim 1, said wall mountable bracket having vertically spaced apart pairs of inwardly extending female wings, said wings tapering inwardly downwardly, and complementary outwardly extending male wings on the end of said U-bracket plate.

6. In an adjustable traverse drapery bracket, an adjustable drapery rod supporting bracket comprising a wall mountable bracket, a vertically extendable stanchion adjustably secured on said wall mountable bracket, a first horizontal arm detachably mounted on the top end of said stanchion, a second horizontal arm telescopically mounted on said first horizontal arm, means for securing the telescoped portions of said horizontal arms in adjusted position, and drapery rod holding means on the extended end of said second horizontal arm, said vertically extendable stanchion being telescopically mounted on said wall mountable bracket, said stanchion securing means comprising a stud screw extending through a vertically extending slot in said wall mountable bracket into a threaded aperture in said telescopic stanchion, a pair of inwardly extending, downwardly tapered spaced apart female wings on the upper end of said stanchion, a pair of complementary spaced apart male wings on the wall end of said first horizontal arm, downwardly folded brace portions on opposite sides of said first horizontal arm, said male wings extending outwardly from said brace portions, inwardly extending tracks extending from said folded brace portions receiving said horizontal arm telescopically therewithin, said horizontal arm securing means comprising slot means in one horizontal arm and a threaded aperture in said other horizontal arm and a stud bglt extending through said slot means into said threaded arm, said holding means comprising a downward lip on the end of said second horizontal arm, and a cleat pivotally secured on the underside of said second horizontal arm for latching the drapery rod against said downward lip.

7. The combination of a pair of rod end supporting brackets, a drapery rod, and a rod center supporting bracket in an adjustable traverse drapery bracket, each said end supporting a bracket comprising an adjustable bracket comprising a wall mountable bracket, a vertically extending U-bracket plate detachably mounted thereon, a bracket arm telescopically slidable in said U-bracket plate, pivot means extending through a slot in the side of said U-bracket plate into one end of said bracket arm and slidable in said U-bracket plate for pivotally securing said bracket arm in a desired angular extended position, bracket arm angle adjusting, lifting and supporting means adjustably secured through the bight of said U-bracket plate adjacent its end remote from its wall bracket mounting end, a pivoted rod holding bracket, and means for pivotally supporting and securing said rod holding bracket in desired angular position on the outer end of said bracket arm, whereby said rod holding bracket may be adjusted and extended relative to said wall mounted bracket, said wall mounting brackets being Wall mounted at slightly different elevations, said rod holding brackets being adjusted to the same elevation and to the desired spacing from the wall on which the brackets are mounted, said drapery rod being horizontally mounted on and between said rod supporting brackets, said rod center supporting bracket comprising a wall mountable bracket, a vertically extendable stanchion adjustably secured on said wall mountable bracket, a first horizontal arm detachably mounted on the top end of said stanchion, a second horizontal arm telescopically mounted on said first horizontal arm, means for securing the telescoped portions of said horizontal arms in adjusted position, and drapery rod holding means on the extended end of said second horizontal arm, the center of said drapery rod being held by and supported by the holding means of said second horizontal arm.

(References on following page) References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS Graber 21196.

Mason 248263 Graber 1694 Frye 38-105 CLAUDE A. LE ROY, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN AN ADJUSTABLE TRAVERSE BRACKET, AN ADJUSTABLE BRACKET COMPRISING, A WALL MOUNTABLE BRACKET, A VERTICALLY EXTENDING U-BRACKET PLATE DETACHABLY MOUNTED THEREON, A BRACKET ARM TELESCOPICALLY SLIDABLY IN SAID U-BRACKET PLATE, PIVOT MEANS EXTENDING THROUGH A SLOT IN THE SIDE OF SAID U-BRACKET PLATE INTO ONE END OF SAID BRACKET ARM AND SLIDABLE ARM IN SAID U-BRACKET PLATE FOR PIVOTALLY SECURING SAID BRACKET ARM IN A DESIRED ANGULAR EXTENDED POSITION, BRACKET ARM ANGLE ADJUSTING, LIFTING AND SUPPORTING MEANS ADJUSTABLY SECURED THROUGH THE BIGHT OF SAID U-BRACKET PLATE ADJACENT ITS END REMOTE FROM ITS WALL BRACKET MOUNTING END, A PIVOTED ROD HOLDING BRACKET, AND MEANS FOR PIVOTALLY SUPPORTING AND SECURING SAID ROD HOLDING BRACKET IN DESIRED ANUGLAR POSITION ON THE OUTER END OF SAID BRACKET ARM, WHEREBY SAID ROD HOLDING BRACKET MAY BE ADJUSTED AND EXTENDED RELATIVE TO SAID WALL MOUNTED BRACKET. 